Hello Taiwan!!: Dear England... #3

It's the 16th of September already! And it feels like I've been in Taiwan for years. It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and the sun is still burning. It's 31 degrees today with low humidity. Which makes it incredibly hot. I had my first interview yesterday, in which I had to give a thirty minute lesson to 16 kids aged between 4 and 5. Adorable! It went well, but you can never tell. I really hope I get it!
We have now moved into an apartment in the Sanmin district with our new friends Lexus, Vanessa and Pauline. The apartment is lush! Although we have to climb 5 flights of stairs... but it's all worth it! There is air conditioning in every room and the decor is lovely. Our (temporary room, we're moving upstairs in one week) room is painted orange with a big cupboard, and bed side tables on either side. We also have a nice cooling fan.

This is the room we are staying in at the moment!

This is the balcony!

This is the view from the balcony. We are on the top floor, good views but a climb!

Ed also had a job interview for the cram school Joy, it's quite far away from where we're living, but he got the job! He's signing the contract today, and then observing until 9pm. He met this guy Dan at football practice who has been living here for 15 years. He's worked at several schools and says Joy has been the best one.

On his way back from the interview his cash card didn't work... Meanwhile, I was back at the flat - no money, no phone, no key. Helpless, just waiting. I was expecting him back at 6. So when it came to 7 I was getting worried. So I found some change to go and call him from a phone box. I left the door to the block of flats open and prayed that it wouldn't be shut on my return. I phoned Ed. No answer. FUCK!!! I panicked and started to cry. Where the hell was he??? I walked back to the flat to find the door shut. Oh crap. I had really messed it up now. All I could do now was wait for someone to come home. But when would that be? And where the fuck was Ed? It was coming to half past 7 so I decided to ring Ed again. He picked up. The pay phone I was using wasn't very good so I couldn't here him very well. But he said he was on his way back. Relieved, I waited for him. He arrived about 15 minutes later, drenched in sweat, blisters on his heels. He explained that he had to walk 3 miles from the school because his cash card didn't work at any 7/11, leaving him no option but to walk. Now that doesn't sound that long, but in 30 degree + heat, where you can't speak the language and you're not really sure where you're going, it must have been horrible! A total nightmare for us both.

But it's ok, we've decided that it's better for the person left at the flat to have the phone and key. We only have one of everything! Very difficult. You can't get a mobile phone until you have a residency visa, which I can't get until I get a job... but Ed's working, so we can get another phone soon.

I haven't taken photos for a couple of days now... and I think it's because the more familiar you get with a place, the less fascinating and picture worthy you think it is. But I will do my best and take some more and put them up here.